Suboxone Assisted Treatment

Federal statute, the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000, has establisheda new paradigm for the medication-assisted treatment of opioid addiction in the United States (Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000). Prior to the enactment of DATA 2000,the use of opioid medications to treat opioid addiction was permissible only in federally approved Opioid Treatment Programs, and only with the Schedule II opioid medications methadone and levo-alpha-acetyl-methadol (LAAM), which could only be dispensed not prescribed.

*Now, under the provisions of DATA 2000, qualifying physicians in the medical office and other appropriate settings outside the Opiate Treatment Program system may prescribe and/or dispense Schedule III,IV and V opioid medications for the treatment of opioid addiction if such medications have been specifically approved by the Food and Drug Administration for that indication. (The text of Data 2000 can be viewed at http://www.buprenorphine.samhsa.gov/fulllaw.html.)

In October 2002, Food and Drug Administration approved two sublingual formulations of the Schedule III opioid partial agonist medication buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid addiction. These medications, Subutex (buprenorphine) and Suboxone (buprenorphine/naloxone), are the first and, as of this writing, the only Schedule III,IV, or V medications to have received such FDA approval and, thus, to be eligible for use under DATA 2000. Office-based treatment with buprenorphine promises to bring opioid addiction care into the mainstream of medical practice, thereby greatly expanding access to treatment and bringing new hope to thousands.

Thank you for visiting "Suboxone Assisted Treatment." We are delighted to have you and hope you will find your visit educational and interesting. "Suboxone Assisted Treatment" is a subsidiary of "Medical Assisted Treatment of America, Inc." It is comprised of advocates working together to end the stigma and discrimination attached to Opiate Agonist Treatment. We are working to change the way the world looks at addiction by exposing the truth through education, therefore, opening the eyes of those hood-winked into believing lies.

Opiate Agonist Treatment has been scientifically researched and proven to be the most effective means of stabilizing an opiate addict and reintegrating him or her into society as a productive and functioning citizen (as is the case with so many stabilized methadone patients with whom the "public" is typically unfamiliar, again because of the stigma.)

Yet, while we in no way believe that Opiate Agonist Treatment should be the only choice available to an opiate addict seeking treatment, neither do we see any reason to treat this medical success story with the shame and stigma that has become associated with it for little or no reason whatsoever, except, the ignorance of people making the policy choices in the area of chemical dependency treatment in general and treatment of opiate addiction in particular.

If an opiate addict does make the choice to treat his/her chronic and fatal (if untreated) disease with Opiate Agonist Therapy, then that treatment should be patient-friendly as with any other legitimate medical treatment for any other chronic relapsing disease. Many people seem not to know, or are unwilling to accept that the field of medicine has identified narcotic addiction as a disease. Many of these people would like to keep the argument on a moral plane rather than the health issue it is.

Addiction is a phenomenon that has been clouded by myth, misunderstanding,and moral judgements. The very nature of the problem--what addiction is -- has long been debated. Most people probably continue to think of addiction --particularly to illicit drugs --as primarily a moral or character problem, something caused by degeneracy or lack of willpower.

Scientific research into addiction, however, has led experts to conclude that addiction is actually a disease, a chronic illness like diabetes or hypertension. The American Medical Association broke new ground approximately forty years ago when it declared alcoholism to be a disease. And in the past decade, dramatic advances in technology have allowed scientists to examine the brain itself in search of the causes, mechanisms, and consequences of addiction.

Today, scientists and physicians overwhelmingly agree that while use and even abuse of drugs, such as alcohol and cocaine is a behavior over which the individual exerts control, addiction to these substances is something different. Scientists have begun to understand why addicted people may sacrifice every-thing that's important to them -- their jobs, their families, their homes -- in the quest for a chemical fix.

"When you get into an addicted state, it's a disease of the brain," says Alan Leshner, Ph.D.,Director of the Federal Government's National Institute on Drug Abuse. Leshner says the stigma associated with alcohol and drug addiction is one of the biggest problems experts continually face in dealing with it. Leshner says that the public has little sympathy for addicts,but he adds that "whether you like the person or not, you've got to deal with [their problem] as an illness."

Addiction is a disease that causes changes in the brain, which then drive certain behavior -- taking the drug compulsively -- but addicts can learn to change the behavior. Treatment of and recovery from addiction are possible. Steve Hyman, M.D. compares the disease of addiction to heart disease, which may also necessitate major lifestyle changes. "Take heart patients. We don't blame them for having heart disease," he says but we ask them to follow a certain diet, to exercise, to comply with medication regimes. So it is with the addicted person -- we shouldn't blame them for the disease,but we should treat them as having responsibility for their recovery."

If you are interested in learning more about Suboxone and how it is used to treat addiction, then we encourage you to continue on with us. We are going to explain to you in simple terminology how the pharmacology of addiction relates to your rehabilitation. We will continue on to explain how Suboxone can benefit you, if you are ready to let go of your past and give us a chance to help you . You have found us now. You are not alone. We have advocates ready to help you every step of the way. If you need answers we are here to supply them for you.

We are all waiting to help you. We are patients just like you. We understand! We have traveled down the same road. We have walked a mile in your shoes and would love to share our experiences with you. We can testify that Opiate Agonist Pharmacotherapy works! Give Suboxone a chance and join with us in the fight to stop the stigma and discrimination. With teamwork, we can achieve the extraordinary!!!

If you are tired of going it alone and would like someone to give you a helping hand, then we encourage you, to leave us a message. If you would like for a qualified professional to call you, then please leave your name, phone number and the best time to reach you. We will have someone return your call. We will answer your messages promptly if you leave the proper information for us to contact you. We will call you at our expense if you can't afford to call . We are open twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year and we encourage you to give us a call if you need to speak with us. We welcome your call at any hour.

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XIf you need to reach us by phone, the numbers are listed for your convenience. Please feel free to call us at any hour, day or night. We understand if you are in withdrawal and need assistance quickly. Maybe it is your son/daughter and you are at a loss at how to help them. We are here to answer all of your questions and direct you to where you can find the help you need. We aboveall understand your frustration, helplessness, and above all your need to protect your privacy. You are no longer alone. We are just one phone call away.

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